“WHERE did it go?” Joanna asked in furrowed brows while staring blankly on the floor.

“What is it that you’re looking for?” Che asked. “But, whatever it is, set it aside first and assist Philip,” she said and pulled her hand. “Go, I know you want it.”

Joanna’s heart fluttered as soon as she saw Philip standing in front of their desk. The handsome man is looking around as if curious about how their books were arrayed impressively. Well, it’s all because of her talented hands that not just can create fantastic stories but also can do wonders in interior designing.

Joanna squealed at the thought. “I’m so talented…” she whispered unwarily while staring at Philip. When the man knotted his forehead, she covered her mouth. “Don’t mind what I said.”

“What books can you recommend to me?” he asked, not looking straight in her eyes.

Joanna wanted to laugh. If a man can’t look in a woman’s eyes, it means that he’s attracted to her. “What are the story genres that caught your interests?” she asked with a sweet smile on her face.

“I haven’t tried reading a fiction book. So I don’t have any idea with the genre that you’re talking about,” he said on a serious tone that only made Joanna’s feelings for him sparked.

“Oh, is that so?” Joanna propped her elbows on their high desk and leaned on him closely. “How about in movies? What type of movies you preferred to watch?”

Philip cleared his throat and stepped an inch away from the desk. “I prefer action-filled movies or something that contains mystery or suspense.”

“Do you also love to watch sci-fi movies? Like Avengers, Star Wars?”

Philip nodded. “Yes, I’ve watched the whole series of those movies.”

“Then, you better try Tom Clancy’s novels,” Joanna said and turned around the table towards him. “Follow me, Phil. I will show you where you could find the books that will surely make your spare time worthy.”

Joanna brought Philip to their Fiction and Literature section where all their fiction novels written by the different bestselling author were placed. She went straight to the corner where Tom Clancy’s novels were located. While she’s choosing the best title to offer, Joanna remembered the book she found in the Atlas section earlier. If it was really a hallucination, why it felt real in her hands? And, why would she experience such hallucinations related to her novels? To her recent manuscript in particular?

She remembered how the supposedly last chapter of Sorrowful Kiss changed direction. The scenes and dialogues were out of the outline and context of the story. It was as if one of the characters started to act on its own.

“Excuse me.” Philip interrupted Joanna’s thoughts. “May I see that book?”

Joanna looked at him and smiled. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she said and gave him the book. “It’s one of our most borrowed titles.”

“You’re always absent-minded,” Philip said instead.

Joanna looked at him surprisingly. “Huh?”

But the man didn’t answer. He looked at the back of the book and read the teaser. “I’ll take this,” he said and walked towards the other author’s section. “What else would you recommend?”

“James Patterson,” she said enthusiastically. “His novels were often action-filled,” she said and lead him towards James Patterson’s section. “All of his novels were my favorites, but I’ll suggest this one to you.” She took the book on the farthest corner and gave it to him. “Cradle and All is the first book of him that I read. Since then, James P. is an ‘auto-buy’ for me.”

Philip knotted his forehead. “Auto-buy?”

She nodded. “Auto-buy means buying the book automatically without checking the teaser. Bookworms used that term whenever they’re looking for their favorite author’s novel. It also means that the author of that book won’t fail your expectation. But, it still depends on the readers,” she said and smiled at him. When Philip just knotted his forehead at what she said, she laughed. “There are different types of readers. There are Series Junkies that read series and doesn’t like standalone novels. Polygamist Reader, the ones that read multiple books at once. The Partial Reader, they’re the ones that are incapable of finishing a book. And—” She stopped speaking when Philip was no longer listening to him. “And, many more…”

“I didn’t know that you knew a lot about reading,” he said, not looking at her. “I think I’m the Partial Reader type.”

Joanna paused. She thought he wasn’t listening to her. “Ahm… I’m the Fiction Fanatics type of reader,” she said, trying her best to contain her sudden excitement while talking to him. “For me, the fictional world is better than the reality.”

Philip looked at her with a knotted forehead. “So you believed in fairytales that there’s a prince charming coming on your way?”

She chuckled on what he said. “I don’t believe in fairytales. As a matter of fact, I’m not a fan of fairytales.” She rolled her eyes ceilingwards. “Who would be impressed by a girl who only thinks about true love’ kiss at the age of fourteen? And, who would feel inspired by the sixteen-year-old girl that left his father for a man?”

Philip gave her a look that says he didn’t expect her reaction. “I think fairytales showed that teenagers tend to do rational decisions,” he said and checked the book that she recommended to him. “I’ll take this too.”

She pressed her lips together and followed Philip with her gaze as he walked towards the next author’s section, she regretted being so talkative in front of him. “Did I give him a bad impression?” She walked towards him and think of a different topic that will lift their mood. “Hmm. Philip, can you tell me the benefits of going to the gym?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Philip asked back without looking at her. “Going to the gym regularly will make you physically fit.”

Joanna tucked her hair behind her ears and stood straight beside him. “Do you think I should go to the gym?”

Philip glanced at her, but as soon as their eyes met, he looked away. “You looked underweight.”

She frowned. “I eat a lot,” she said and looked at her body. “I don’t know why I’m thin.”

“Maybe because what you eat is not healthy,” he said, glancing at her. “You should have a balanced diet.”

Now that they’re talking about food, Joanna came up with the idea that will level up her chance of being noticed by Philip. “Can you tell me the foods that I should eat? How about we discuss them over lunch?” she asked with a bright smile on her face. “Let’s have lunch together, Philip.”

Philip stopped on running his fingers to the titles and looked at her. “Why would I do that?” he asked bluntly. “I’m not interested.”

Joanna’s lips parted in shock. “Ah… o-okay,” she said and looked away from him.

To hide her embarrassment, she pretended that she’s looking for a book title. She grabbed the first book that she saw on the higher shelves, but it slipped on her hand. She closed her eyes as the book fell on her. But nothing fell on her head. Joanna opened her eyes and saw a hand holding the book. The man standing closed to her apparently caught the book that supposedly hit her head.

“T-Thanks…” was all she managed to say because she was also caught by his eyes that looked familiar to her.

“Hana?” the man asked as he lowered his hand. “Is your name Hana Jo?”

***